1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to systems for managing a document by using a folder, and more particularly to a document management system and a document management program for automatically providing template information (property information) to a document in a folder thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
A document processing system such as a personal computer and a document filing system is used to process a large number of documents. Conventionally, such a document processing system stores and manages processed documents in a storage part thereof so as to use the documents in the future. In order to conveniently use the stored document, the documents are classified and managed in a folder (directory). Such a folder system is constructed in accordance with predetermined classification criteria so that a user can easily find and access a desired document.
In the above-mentioned conventional document management method, when the user sets a document file in a document processing system, the user has to create folders in the document processing system in advance and determine a folder suitable for the document file based on the classification criteria of the folder system thereof. Then, the user sets the document file in the determined folder by moving or copying the document file. Furthermore, when the user wants to move an existing document file in a folder to another folder, the user determines the folder where the document file is to be newly set and then moves or copies the document file to the folder.
According to the conventional document management method, when a user stores and manages a document file in the document processing system, the user has to perform some tasks as mentioned above.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 07-13828 discloses a file management device that can eliminate the above-mentioned problem. In the file management device, a user is required to register file classification information to a file or a folder. Based on the registered file classification information, a file is automatically classified in a folder suitable for the file. According to the file management device, the user can manage the file with little awareness of the file classification. Therefore, it is possible to reduce user's work load related to file management.
Also, when a user stores and manages a document file in a folder, the user can attach property information such as a document management item to the document file. The property information is registered in a database and serves as the document management information or the document setting information of a document management system. In a conventional document management system, when a user attempts to attach such property information to some document files therein, the user has to individually attach the property information to the document files. According to the conventional document management system, the user has to perform many tasks to register the property information to the document files. As a result, such a conventional document management system is undesirable with respect to operability and efficiency.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 10-254745 discloses a document management system that can efficiently manage a document file by using property information. In the document management system, folder property information (folder template information) is registered for each folder and stored in a database. When a user inputs a document file in a folder in the document management system, the document management system searches the database for the property information corresponding to the folder and attaches the found property information to the document file. According to the document management system, it is possible to efficiently manage a document file registered in a folder in the document management system.
However, in the file management device according to Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 07-13828, when a document file is classified, the file management device examines contents or an extension of the document file and determines a file type of the document file. Based on the determined file type, the file management system determines in which folder the document file should be registered with reference to a predetermined classification table in which the correspondence between file types and the folders in the file management system is described. According to the file management device, once a document file is classified in a folder, a user cannot move and copy the document file to another folder without changing the contents or the extension thereof.
Also, the document management system according to Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 10-254745 is related to only a newly created document file. Namely, when a user registers a new document file in a folder in the document management system, the document management system serves to efficiently set property information to the newly registered document file. In contrast, the document management system cannot handle cases where a user reregisters a document file whose property information has already been registered in a folder in the document management system, and where the user moves or copies a document file whose property information has already been registered in a folder in the document management system to another folder therein. Furthermore, the document management system has a problem in that the document management system systematically attaches predetermined property information of the folder to the document file without any consideration regarding differences among document files in the folder. Namely, the document management system cannot prepare some patterns of property information for a folder so that the user can flexibly set the most suitable attribute information pattern to the document file based on the document information thereof.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2002-230010 discloses a document management system that can eliminate the above-mentioned problems. The document management system registers a document file in a folder based on predetermined classification and manages the registered document file in a database thereof. The document management system can efficiently attach a property information pattern and property information content suitable for the document file in accordance with differences among document files in the folder. Furthermore, even when a registered document file is reclassified in another folder or when the registered document file is moved or copied to another folder, the document management system tends to reduce user's tasks and efficiently perform the above processes. Namely, the document management system is designed to properly manage the document file with reduced user's tasks.
In order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the document management system has a registration function as a primary component. The registration function maintains a plurality of property information patterns for each folder and attaches a selected property information pattern to a document file to be registered.
In this fashion, the document management system mainly has interest in the “selectability” among the property information patterns prepared for a folder and attaches only a selected property information pattern to a document file to be registered in the folder. In particular, the document management system registers exactly one property information pattern.
If only a selected property information pattern is registered to a document file as mentioned above, there is a probability that the document management system cannot successfully respond to environmental variations of the document management system and various user's needs in the future.